The spirit of music awakens and invigorates almost every person who hears it as well as some who don't and rely on the vibrations they can feel. A guitar especially holds an appeal for many people, both players and enthusiasts alike. Learning to play guitar can be easy if you start off the right way.

While having a love of music is important, beginner guitar players must also be motivated. Playing the guitar is one thing but learning to play it well takes time and practice. Expect to learn your new instrument very well, including how to choose the right guitar for you, what books you're going to need to learn from, and what style of music you're most inclined towards playing. Even details like fingernails being kept trimmed improves guitar play. While learning to play guitar, don't push yourself too hard. Take breaks but also expect a good deal of practice for each lesson.

The history of the guitar is an important part of learning to play. Stringed instruments go back a very long way but the most guitar-like instruments were mentioned around the 12th century. Guitars had a ready place in the life of the ancient performer because they could and can still play so many different types of music. Their portability makes them easy to adapt to as well. Though electric guitars are typically made of synthetic materials, most acoustic guitars and some electric are still made of wood.

The parts of a guitar are fairly basic and almost the same between both acoustic and electric guitars. There is a larger body to the instrument, with a neck and headstock. With an acoustic guitar, the body will be hollow. Electric guitars will have a whammy bar near a part of the guitar called the bridge. From the bridge will come strings on both types of guitars that will run along the neck to the headstock. At the headstock is where the strings can be tightened or slackened by tuners.

One of the first things to learn about playing the guitar is positioning or how you hold it. The body of the guitar will be held against one leg, usually the opposite leg of the hand that will support the guitar's neck. For someone who is right handed, the body of the guitar will be on the right thigh while the left hand lightly holds the neck up. Left handed people will of course do this differently. The hand that is not holding the neck will be the hand to reach over and pluck the guitar strings.

The strings on a guitar will typically be six. They will run along the neck and down to the bridge on the body, and each one will make a different sound when plucked. The notes on a guitar go from the string at the top, E, then down to A, D, G, B and to the final E. The top string is the thickest of them all and has the lowest sound. The bottom string is the thinnest and gives off the highest sound.

It isn't just the plucking of the strings that helps a guitar make music. Along the guitar's neck are frets, thin strips of metal that go up and down the neck towards the headstock of the guitar. When plucking strings, the hand that supports the neck of the guitar will press the strings against the neck. Try to avoid pressing the strings over the actual metal. Instead, focus on pressing them against the neck of the guitar, between the frets. The vibrations the strings make will change as the frets get higher up the neck, the sounds also getting higher.

These are just a few of the important things to remember when learning to play guitar. You'll still want to grab at least one lesson guide to explain chords and scales, and a book of beginner songs. Positioning and understanding the parts of a guitar are key to beginning your new musical career. - 31840